Transmission mechanism.



PATENTED MAR. 25, 1907.

J. O. HOBBS. TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.25, 1905.

2 SHEETS-$11351 l.

No. 848,368. PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

J. O, HOBBS. TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.

. APPLIUATION FILED 0GT.25, 1905.

UNITED STATES JOHN O. HOBBS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRANSMISSION MECHANISM- To all whom it may-concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN 0. Moses, a citi- I Zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, E county of (Took, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transmission Mechanism; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in'ihe art to which it pertains 1') make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to powertransmission mechanism, and more particularly to dill'erential gearing interposed between a motor and a driven element, wherei by the latter may be rotated at various speeds in one direction or in a reverse direction.

It is desirable, especially in automobiles, to so connect the motor with a driven element, which in turn 18 operatively connected to the. rear axle of the automobile, that the speed and power transmitted from the motor may be varied at the will of the operator and that the direction of rotation of the driven element may be reversed while the motor continues to run in the same direction.

The primary obiect of my invention is to provide transmission mechanism for connecting a motor to a driven element which may be readily adiusted to vary the speed and power of rotation of the element or to reverse the direction of rotation thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a differential transmission mechanism which will be simple in construction,inex pensive in manufacture, and ellicient in operation.

My invention, generally described, con sists of a driving-shaft, a pinion fixed to the shaft, an internal gear-wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, a carrier loosely mounted on the shaft, gear-wheels iournaled on said carrier in mesh with said pinion and with said internal gear, means for locking said carrier against rotation, at sprocket-wheel and clutch mem'ber rigidly connected to said internal gear, a cooperating clutch member fixed upon said shaft, a second pair of clutch members one of which is fixed upon the shaft 1 and the other rotativoly mounted thereon, a driving element and one member of a third clutch rigidly connected to the rotatable l l l a i l l i r l l l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907. 1005. "semi N01 284,300.

[member of the second clutch, a countershaft having a relatively large sprocketwheel lixed thereon connected by a sprocketchain with said first sprocket-wheel, a relatively smail sprocket-wheel fixed on the counter-shaft connected by a chain with a relatively large sprocket-wheel locked to rotate with the movable member of the third clutch, means for normally engaging the members of the third clutch. means. for engaging the members of the first clutch while the members of the third clutch remain engaged, and means for engaging the members of the second clutch and disengaging the members of the third clutch.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical -sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1 and Fig. 8 a detail elevational View of a member of the third pair of clutches.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference character A indicates a drivingshaft-such, for instance, as the crank-shaft of an automobile.

B indicates a fly-wheel fixed upon the driving-shaft in any suitable manneras', for instance, by a key I).

0 indicates a pinion fixed to the driving- 3 shaft adiacent the hub a of the fly-wheel.

D indicates a disk rotatively mounted upon the hub a of the fly-wheel and serving as a carrier for a plurality of pinions d, journaled thereon in mesh with the pinion C. Disk D is provided with a single flange around its outer periphery, surrounding which is a clutch-band D. Any suitable means may be provided for tightening the clutch-band around the flange of the carrying-disk D to.

lock the same against rotationsuch, for instance, as shown in Fig. 2, in which a bellcrank lever d is secured to a rock-shaft D the arms of the bell-crank lever being connected to the ends of the clutch-band.

E indicates an internal gear-wheel, the teeth (2 of which mesh with the pinions (1, carried by the disk D. The internal gear E is mounted to rotate'upon the driving-shaft and is rigidly connected to a sprocket-wheel F and to a member G of a clutch; Any suitlinto frictional engagementlock the two loosely mounted upon the shaft. Frictionments rotatively mounted thereon,

[third clutch, which is mounted [0' rotate able means may be provided for locking the internal gear, the sprocket-wheel, and clutch member to rotate toget.liei'--sucli, for instance as rods fyextending through alined holes in the united elements. A bushing 7L surrounds the driving-shaft and is interposed between the same and the united internal gear, sprocket-wheel, and clutch member. I

I-Yindicates a clutch member cooperating I with the member G and fixed to rotate with i the driving-shaft A. The engagement be l tween the two. members of the clutch is effected by two series of friction-disks K, one 1 series having notches engaging splines g on the interior of a flange around the periphery i of the-member G, while the other series is provided. 'with notches engaging splines h aroundthe hub of the other clutch member H. The frictionplates on each series alternate with those of the other and when forced i members of the clutch together. The means I employ for forcing the two series of friction- I plates into'engageinent consists of a disk M, surrounding the driving-shaft and carrying laterally-projecting pins m, which projectthrough holes in the clutch member H and bear at their ends upon the outer frictionplate. A similar pair of clutch members is also mounted upon the driving-shaft, comprising-the member H fixed to rotate with the shaft, and a cooperating member G plates .K are interposed between the splines of this second .pair of clutch members Gr and H which are constructed in all respects similar to those above described in connection with the first pair of clutch members.

M indicates a disk surrounding the driv-- ing-shaft, carrying laterally-projecting pins m extending through holes in the member friction-plate or the series K Locked to rotate with the clutch member" G is a driving element, which may eonveniently consist in a sprocket-wheel F A 5 member E of a third-clutch is locked to rotate with the driving element and also with the clutch member G2 by any suitable meanssuch, for instance, as rods f ex- 5 tending through alined holes in the united 5 parts. A bushing n is preferably interposed between the driving-shaft and the united elc- 0 indicates the cooperating member of the upon a bushing n, secured to the drivingshaft, and is provided with laterally-projecting-pins 0, adapted to be projected thrgugh slots e in the member E Loosely surrounding the bushin n and intermediate .01" the 3 members 0 and E of the third clutch is a lar e sprocket-wheel N, through holes in; which the pins 0 pass. The sprocket-wheel l N is prevented from moving axially upon the! T project.

rounding t A indicates a counter-shaft jouinaled in" suitable bearings c a and having fixed f ihereon a large sprocket-wheel R, connected by a sprocket-chain r with the sprocketwheel F. A relatively small sprocket-wheel R is also fixed upon the countenshaft and is connected by a sprocket-chain 1 with the relatively large sprocket-wheel N.

The clutch members of the third clutch are normally retained in engagement by means of a bell-crank lever P, one end of which is provided with a yoke extending into a peripheral groove on the clutch member 0. A spring P, connected at one end to a In P projecting fromthe bell-crank lever, and at its other end to a stationarybracket 1), tends to retain the member 0 in position for the pins 0 thereon to project throughthe grooves e in the member E The opposite end of the bell-crank lever Dis provided. with an antifriction-roller p, adapted to be engaged by a cam a, fixed upon a shaft A". The

shaft A is journaled in suitable beariiigs such, for instance, as the outer end of the bracket P projecting from the bar 7)" of the driving-shaft. The opposite end of the shaft A may be journaled in a bracket L supported in any suitable manne;

Any suitable means is rovided for forcing into locked en agement t ie members of either the first clutch or of the second clutch, such means being shown as consisting of a block K, mounted to slide axially upon the drivin shaft and having radially-projecting pins A yoke L surrounds the block K and is rovided with inclined slots Z I, through W rich the ins 76 it on the block extend. One end L of the yoke is in sliding engagement with a suitable support Z, while the opposite end L of the yoke is adapted to reciprocate throiwh a bearing Z carried by the bracket L. The end of the portion L of the yoke is provided with a laterally-projecting pin 1, engaging a notch in the upper end of acrank-arm A projecting from the rock-shaft A The opposite vertical surfaces of the block K are provided with annular grooves within which are ball-bearings k, the balls being retained within the grooves in the block by plates, such as K, through holes in which the balls 1 indicates a brake-band surpcripheral flange on the clutch member G, suitable operating means (not shown) being provided for causing the brakeband to tightly grip the flange on the clutch member to retard the rotation of the driving element F.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is desired to convert the rotary movement of the drivin -shaft A into a reverse rotary movement applied to the driv- G in Fig.

shown in Fig. 1, in which the clutch-, and D I has been tightened to lock the carrier D against rotation. The rotation of the driving-shaft is communicated through the pinion C to the pinions (Z, which in turn rotate the internal gear-Wheel E in a reverse direction to the rotation of the driving-shaft. The sprocket-wheel F rotates with the internal gear E and through the sprocket-chain r and large s rocket-wheel R rotates the counter-shaft The rotation of the countershaft is communicated by the sprocket-wheel R, s rocket-chain r sprocket-wlieel N, and clutch member E to the driving element F thereby rotating such element in a reverse di rection at reduced speed. In order that the driving element maybe rotated in the same direction as the drivingshaft-, but at reduced speed, the clutch-band D is of course released and the yoke L moved downwardly in Fig.5 1 or towardl the left in Fig. 2, thereby forcing the block K into contact with the disk M and causin the pins m carried thereb to press the aternate series of friction pfates K into frictional en agement with each other, thereby locking the members H and G of the first clutch together, so that the sprocket-wheel F rotates with the driving-shaft. The rotary niction of the sprocket-wheel F is transmitted to the driven element F through the counter-shaft, s rocket-Wheelsjfi thereon, and connectinge ains, the sprocket N being locked to the driven element by the members 0 and E of the third clutch. It is obvious that the speed of rotation of the driven element is less t an} that of the driving-shaft, owing'to the sprocket-wheel B being larger than the sprocket-wheeli F', while sprocket-wheel R is smaller than the sprocket-wheels R and N. When the driven element is to be rotated at high speedf the yoke L is moved toward the right in Fig. 2 by oscillating the lever A, rigid y attached to the rock-shaft A so that the blodk'K will;be forced against the disk M and the pins "in carried thereby pressed against the friction-plates K so as to lock the members H and G: of the second clutch. together. This oscillation of the shaft A causes the cam a carried thereby, to oscillate the bell-crank-lever I through engagement with the antifriction-roller p carried thereby. The oscillation of the bell-crank lever moves the member 0 of the third clutch" and G It is evidentthat in the above operation the drivenelement is locked to rotate with the drivin -shaft through the medium of the engaged c utch members H and G the ing element F the parts are in the osition I former of which is fixed to the driven element. When the yoke L is moved to the intermediate position shown in Fi 1, the block through the engagement of the pins 7r: thereon with the inclined slots Z in the yoke is moved out of engagement with the disk M and coineidently the rock-shaft A is oscillated, so as to move the cam (1 out of engage- 'ment with the end of the bell-crank lever, so

that the latter is oscillated by the spring P and the clutch member 0 moved toward the sprocket-wheel N and the pins 0 carried thereby projected into the slots e of the eoiiperating clutch member.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved transmission-gearing in which the driven element may be directly connected to the rotating power-shaft, in which the driven element may also be connected to the powershaft through inter osed speed-reducing gearing, and in which the driven element may be driven in a reverse direction to that of the rotating shaft, such different movetion of said counter shaft to the driven element.

2. In a transmission mechanism, the combination with a dr1v1ng-s'haft, of a pinion fixed thereon, an internal gear loosely mounted on said shaft, a inion-carrier also loosely mounted on said 5 aft, one or more pinions journaled on said carrier in mesh with said pinion and internal gear, a pairof clutch members mounted upon said shaft, one

member rigidly connected to said internal gear and the other member connected to rotate with said shaft, means for locking said carrier against rotation, means for engagingand disengaging the members of said clutch, a gear-wheel interposed between and rigidly united to said internal gear and the clutch member loose on said shaft, a counter-shaft, speed-reducing mechanism between said lastmentioned gear and said counter-shaft, a driven element, and speed-reducing meeh anism between said counter-shaft and the driven element.

3. In a transmission mechanism, the combination with a driving-shaft, of a pinion fixed thereon, an'internal gear-wheel loosely IIO IIC

mounted on'said shaft, a pinion-carrier also loosely mounted on said shaft, one or more pinions journaled on said carrier in mesh with said pinion and internal gear, means for locking said carrier against rotation, a driven element. loosely mounted on the driving-shaft, speed-reducing mee-hanism interposed between said internal gear and said driven element, means for disconnecting said driven element from said speed-redueing mechanism, and means for locking said driven element direetly to the driving-shaft.

i. In a transmission mechanism, the combination with a driving-shaft, of a pinion fixed thereon. an internal gear-wheel loosely mounted on said shaft, a pinion-carrier also loosely mounted on said shaft, one or more pinions ionrnaled on said carrier in mesh with said pinion and internal gear, means for loeking said earrier against rotation, a pair of eluh'li members mounted upon said shalt, one member rigidly ronneeted to said internal gear and the other member connected to said shaft. to rotate therewith, means for en gaging and disengaging the members of said eluteh, a driven element. loosely mounted on the. drivingsliait, speed-redueing meehanism interposed between said internal gear and said driven element, means for disconneeting said driven element from said speedreducing mechanism, and means for locking said driven element directly to the drivingshaft.

5. In a transmission mechanism, the, combination with a driving-shaft, of a pinion fixed thereon, an internal gear loosely surrounding said shaft, a pinion-carrier also loosely surrounding said shaft, one or more. pinions journalqi on said carrier in mesh with said pinion and internal gear, a pair of eluteh members mounted upon said shaft, one member rigidly (OlllltClttl to said internal gear and the other member eonneeted to rotate with said shaft, means for loeking said- J. O. HOBBS.

W itnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, C. A. MULLEN. 

